A website out of central Quang Nam Province was fined VND5 million (USD223) by the local Department of Information and Communications for reporting a local fisherman had caught a mermaid.
Department director Pham Hong Quang told DTiNews on Tuesday the fine was given to Pham Dac Hau, 27, for publishing "Quang Nam fisherman catches a mermaid" on his website quangnamonline.com.vn.
The report about a local fishman in Quang Nam Province caught a mermaid on website quangnamonline.com.vn
The report claimed a fisherman, Tran Nhat Dung, in Tam Anh Nam Commune in Nui Thanh District caught a mermaid weighing 48 kilograms in a net. The mermaid was then allegedly taken to Minh Thien Hospital in Tam Ky City to receive proper care and was being held awaiting scientists from the US to study it. A Japanese man allegedly offered Dung USD1 million to buy the creature, but he refused.
The news was posted on Facebook and quickly shared on various social media websites.
Investigation found that the photos were taken from a wedding photo collection of a local young couple.
An investigation by the Department of Information and Communications and other relevant agencies found the report to have been fabricated.
"Hau was fined following the Government's Decree No.174/2013/NĐ-CP on sanctioning administrative violations in the fields of posts, telecommunications, information technology and radio frequency," Quang said.
